Clasp.



c. E. MEHLHQPE.

CLASP@ APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. 1912.

1,206,01 7 Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

m M @MMU/@J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. MEHLHOPE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE PLAMONDON, OIE WHEATON, ILLINOIS.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 28, 1916.

Application filed November 29, 1912. I Serial No. 733,982.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. MEHL- Horn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof,

reference being had to the accompanyingV drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in clasps adapted for use with garters and more particularly to the type of clasp which includes a toggle-joint and consists of the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view representing in front elevation my improved clasp as it appears when attached to a garter and acting to support a sock or stocking and also illustratinga hand in position to detach the clasp. Fig. 2 is a view representing a vertical section through the clasp in a plane indicated by the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a like view showing the parts as they appear in the movement of opening the clasp. Fig. 4 is a like view showing the clasp fully open. Figs. 5, 6 and7 are detail perspective views of parts of the clasp to be referred to more particularly later.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the clasp comprises a rigid shoulder carrying member 10, and a latch or locking member 11. The member 10, as shown, is wide and flat and is preferably made of sheet metal. It is provided at its lower end with a transversely. extending shoulder or lip 12, which is adapted to receive and support a fold of a garment as, for example, a

sock or stocking with which the clasp is to be detachably connected. As shown, this shoulder or lip is provided by bending the metal of which the member 10 is made upward somewhat inhook-form.

The latch or locking member 11 is hinged to the member 10 and comprises two arms 13 and 14 connected together to form a toggle. The upper arm 14 consists of a metal plate (shown in perspective in Fig. 7,) while the lower arm 13 is made of wire bent into the form of a closed loop having a transverse end member l5, which acts as a pintle for the hinged connection between the arms 13 and 14 of the knuckle of the toggle, and a transverse end member 16 which is adapted to be engaged back of the shoulder 12 of the rigid member 10.

, The two members of the clasp are hinged to a transversely extending loop 19, (a perspective of which is shown in Fig. 5,) which provides means for attachment of the clasp to the webbing of the garter or other device with which it is used and which constitutes a support for the clasp as a whole.

The upperend part 10a of the shoulder carrying member 10 is bent forwardly away from the plane of said member so as to ofi'- set the axis of the hinge connecting the two members of the clasp from the plane of the said member 10. The amount of the oii'set is such that when the latch or locking member 11 is engaged behind the shoulder 12 and the knuckle of the toggle is brought to engage against the front face of the member 10, the axis of said knuckle will be back of the plane containing the axis of the hinge of the clasp and the lower end of the arm 13 of the toggle. The arms of the toggle are made of such length that some force is required to bring the knuckle of the toggle against the front face of the member 10 when the arm is engaged back of the shoulder 12, the elasticity of the arms comprising the toggle permitting them to yield in a vertical direction to allow this movement.

The parts of the clasp thus far described form no part of the present invention and may be of any suitable or desirable construction .of the kind adapted to` perform the function required of such a claspl The invention herein relates particularly to the means provided foropening the clasp.

' The loop 19 comprises a transverse member 2O to which the webbing 21 of the garter is attached, and a transverse member 22 which'forms the pintle for the hinge connectingl the toggle member with the shoulder carrying member of the clasp. 23 indicates a lug or extension made rigid with the loop 19, and, as shown, formed by bending the ends of the wire from which the loop is formed at right angles to the transverse member 2 2 Vof the loop and substantially in the plane of th'euloop. Said extension projects into the space'between the rigid member 10 of the clasp and the upper larm 14 of the toggle member of the clasp, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive. The sleeve parts 14a made rigid with the upper arm of the toggle and forming part of the hinged connection of said toggle member with the rigid member of the clasp are spaced apart to leave an opening leb through which the lug or extension 23 of the loop extends.l

When the clasp is locked, that is to say, when its parts are in closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, if the loop 19 as a whole is swung to theY right on its hinged connection with the clasp, the lug or trigger :23 will engage the rear face of the upper toggle arm 14E and a further swinging movement of the loop in the same direction, as shown in Fig. 8, will act to force said toggle arm away from the shoulder carrying member 10 of the clasp. Thus the trigger acts as the arm of a lever to pry the knuckle of the toggle away from the member 10 and open the clasp. It is clear from a consideration of Figs. 2 to et, that this action ot' the trigger will be produced either by swinging the loop 19 upon the clasp or by swinging the clasp upon the loop, the relative movement between the two being the factor which brings the trigger into operation.

When the clasp is attached tok a garter, it is apparent that the necessary relative movement of the loop 19 with reference to the clasp proper to open the clasp may be brought about by engagement of the forefinger back of the member 10 of the clasp with the thumb engaged upon the upper transverse member 2O of the loop, or upon the webbing 21 at or above vsaid loop, as shown in Fig. 1. The clasp may be in this manner easily snapped open so as'to detach it from the article with which it is connected.

The upper toggle member 14 and the rigid member 10 are so shaped or formed in the neighborhood of the hinged connection between them, that the lug or trigger 23 may have considerable play between the two parts before it is brought into engagement with the toggle member to unfasten it, this being necessary in order that such limited relative movement between the loop and the clasp upon their hinged connection as may occur in the normaliise of the clasp, will not act to iin-fasten the clasp.

The advantages of the new construction will be apparent to those familiar with the art. lVhile a clasp including a toggle grip forms a most eflicient clasp for garters and like devices, its use for such purpose has heretofore been found impracticable on account oi' the diiticulty encountered in providing means for opening the clasp.

The device for opening the clasp is of simple and economical construction, and the fact that it may be operated by a single movement, without the necessity for grasping projecting parts of the clasp by the lingers or finger-nails, as well as the absence of projecting parts which are apt to4 catch in the clothes of the wearer, renders the use of a toggle clasp construction provided with such a trigger both commercially practical ble and desirable.

lVhile in describing my invention I have referred to certain details of mechanical construction and arrangement it is to beV understood that the invention is in no way limited thereto except as mayV be pointed out in the appended claims.

1 claim as my invention 1. 1n a clasp comprising a rigid shoulder carrying member, a toggle' jointed latch member and a clasp supporting member to which said first two members are hinged, a triggerinaderigid with said clasp supporting member and adapted for operative engagementwith said toggle member to open said clasp, said trigger and clasp" supporting member being capable of limited inop erative movement.

2. In a clasp comprising a rigid shoulder carrying member, a toggle jointed latch member and a clasp supporting member to which said first two members are hinged, a trigger movable with said clasp supporting member and adapted for operative engagement with said toggle' member to open said clasp, said trigger and -clasp supporting member being capable of limited inoperative movement.

3. In a clasp comprising a rigid shoulder carrying member, a toggle jointed llatch member and a clasp supporting member to which said first two members are hinged, a trigger interposed between said rigid member and said toggle jointed member, said trigger being movable with said clasp supporting member to open said clasp, said trigger and clasp supporting member being capable of limited inoperative movement.

4c. In a clasp comprising a rigid shoulder carrying member, a toggle jointed latch member and a clasp supporting member to which said rst two members are hinged, a trigger made integral with said clasp supporting member and adapted to open said clasp, said trigger being located between ysaid rigid shoulder carrying member and said toggle jointed member, the parts being constructed to provide a limited inoperative movement of said trigger between the members between which it is interposed.

5. In a claspv comprising a rigid shoulder carrying member, a toggle jointed latch memberv and a clasp supporting loop' to which said lirst two members are hinged, a trigger made integral with saidclasp supporting loop and extending into the space between said rigid member and toggle jointed member of the clasp, said trigger being adapted for .engagement against the rear face of the toggle jointed member adjacent its hinged connection with said clasp supporting loop.

6. In a clasp comprising a rigid shoulder carrying member, a toggle jointed latch member and a clasp supporting loop to which said first two members are hinged, a trigger' made integral with said clasp supporting loop and extending into the space between said rigid member and toggle ointed member of the clasp, said trigger being adapted for engagement against the rear face of the toggle jointed member adjacent its hinged connection with said clasp supporting loop, the parts being constructed to provide a limited free play of the trigger between the members between which it is interposed when the members of the clasp are in locked relation.

7. In a clasp comprising a rigid shoulder carrying member, a latch member comprising upper and lower toggle-arms and a clasp supporting member to which said irst two members are hinged, the clasp supporting member consisting of a loop of wire having a transverse member constituting the pint-le of the hinge connecting the rigid shoulder carrying member and the toggle member of the clasp, the wire forming the loop being bent at right angles substantially in the plane of the loop `to the transverse pintle member of the loop to form a trigger which extends into the space between the rigid shoulder carrying member and the toggle member of the clasp and which is adapted to open said clasp.

8. In a clasp, the combination of a back member provided with a shoulder, a toggle jointed latch member adapted to co-act with said back member, means for operatively hinging said two members together, and a trigger forming part of a lever ulcrumed to swing upon an axis substantially co-axial with the axis of the hinge connecting the two clasp members, said trigger being adapted for operative engagement with the said latch member to open said clasp and being capable of limited inoperative movement.

9. In a clasp, the combination of a backmember provided with a shoulder, a togglejointed latch member adapted for coperative engagement with said shoulder, means for' operatively hinging said two members together, and a trigger comprising the arm of a lever fulcrumed to swing upon an axis substantially co-axial with the axis of the hinge connecting the two clasp members, said trigger being located back of said latch member in position for operative engagement therewith to open the clasp.

10. In a clasp, the combination of a back member provided with a shoulder, a togglejointed latch member adapted for coperative engagement therewith, means for operatively hinging said two members together, and a trigger comprising the arm of a lever ulcrumed to swing upon an axis substantially co-axial with the axis of the hinge connecting the two clasp members, said trigger being located back of said latch member in position for operative engagementV therewith to open said clasp, and said arm being capable of limited inoperative movement.

11. In a clasp, the combination oi a rigid shoulder-carrying member, a toggle-jointed latch member adapted for engagement with said shoulder, means for operatively hinging said two members together, and a trigger comprising the arm of a lever fulcrumed to swing upon an axis substantially co-axial with the axis of the hinge connecting the two clasp members, said trigger being located between the two clasp members and adapted to open said clasp, said lever being capable of limited inoperative movement.

l2. In a clasp, the combination of a back member provided with a shoulder, a togglejointed latch member adapted for operative engagement with said shoulder and comprising upper and lower arms, means for operatively hinging the upper arm of said tog'- gle-member to said back member, and a lever fulcrumed to swing upon an axis substantially co-axial with the axis of the hinge connecting the two clasp members, said lever being adapted for operative engagement with the upper arm of said toggle member, but being capable of limited inoperative movement.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 26th day of November A. D. 1912.

CLARENCE E. MEHLI-IOPE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE R. WILKINs, KARL W. DOLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C. 

